By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
The USD 428 Board of Education continues to make strides to keep employees and keep them happy. The board and Great Bend-National Education Association recently discussed changes for the 2023-24 school year. The board approved those changes during Thursday's special board meeting. Superintendent Khris Thexton said that brings base pay for teachers up to $44,200.
"The minimum that every teacher will see on their salary for next year is $2,000," he said. "That also includes movement, which is years of experience down for those that can move down. If you gain any education, you can move over a column."
Teachers in the district will receive a minimum raise of $2,000 and a maximum of $4,825. Certified, or hourly, staff, will receive a minimum wage increase of 3.8 percent or a maximum of 7.8 percent. Thexton said the average is approximately five percent. That makes all starting wages at least $13.50.
"I know there are some other groups in town that are trying to get $15 an hour as their starting salary," Thexon said. "We've got enough people that would be a big jump for us to get to that point, yet. We're working on it, but we'll take small steps to get our staff members up there in that area."
Last year, the district used federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds to give returning teachers an incentive bonus. Certified staff will again receive $1,500 for the upcoming school year, and classified staff will receive 70 cents for every hour worked. The retention incentive will also apply for the 2024-25 school year, but because the funds must be used by September 2024, the board will have to come up with a new formula for classified staff.
"Somehow, someway we're going to wrap that money into permanent in order to keep that going through," Thexton said. "That's one that classified will have to look different, but we still want to make sure we have something where they don't lose dollars because ESSER is going away."
The district also bumped pay in its longevity pay and annuity program from $500 a year to $1,000. Employees become partially vested in the tax-sheltered annuity after five years and are 100 percent vested after 15 years.